My Suffering Soul
by MrsKurosaki x
Summary: AU. He leads a life he doesn't want to lead. She finally gets a taste of the real world. Rukia may not of knew, but getting close with Kurosaki Ichigo always came with a consequence... IchiRuki.
1. First Day

Disclaimer: I do not own BLEACH, Prada, Gucci or anything else.

* * *

Opposites Attract

Chapter I

First Day

* * *

The school bell's screech rang down through the hallways of the school. Students laughed and chatted as the day began, all of them back from the one week break.

"Ah, Spring holidays are soon! I got the _Prada_ spring collection already!"

"Thank God the tests are all over! My parents are gonna buy me a new Ferrari if my grades are good!"

"I can't _wait _until I go to the new resort my mom bought!"

"Oh my gosh! Look at my new _Gucci _bag! Limited edition!"

Karakura High. One of the most exclusive and high ranked schools in Tokyo where only the wealthy could attend. Posh and snobby brats were everywhere, bullies lurked around in every corner and the populars ruled the premises. Like every school, it had a hierarchy. Every group or person was in a category or a clique. There were obvious ones; the nerds, the chess or computer club, the losers, geeks and all the other negatives at the bottom of the chain. Then there were the jokers also known as clowns who basically kept the school laughing, they weren't number one but they fit with anyone. There were normals who weren't in any particular clique but were still liked and not usually picked on by the high ups. The skaters who usually hang out in the corners of the cafeteria, they also didn't have any problems.

And then came the populars. The populars were the jocks. They basically ruled the school. Somebody messes with them, that somebody doesn't come back for a week. The chicks that hang out with were known as the 'plastics', they were one of the most dangerous predators in school. Everyone was controlled by them, manipulated by them and destroyed by them if things didn't flow as they wished.

_____

The huge glass sliding doors split open as Rukia approached. As she stepped through she was met with a huge modern room with the reception desk in front. As she looked around she noticed that everything looked more like a brand new hospital than a school. The room was an off white cream colour, accented with wooden panels and modern ceiling spot lights. Behind the desk was the school crest, shielded by a layer of glass. Everything was perfectly clean, especially the marble floor.

"May I help you?" Asked the receptionist from behind the desk. Rukia nodded and stepped forward, her dolly shoes softly tapping against the floor.

"I've transferred here from Mashiba High." The woman nodded and made a few clicks. "What is your name?"

"Kuchiki Rukia." A few moments passed as the receptionist typed and clicked on the computer, confirming the transfer. Rukia started getting slightly anxious with dealing with the thoughts of a new school, a new area and new people. She started looking around again and noticed two more hall ways. The first one she noticed already since it was just to pass the reception but more to the right, another hallway on the right and the third one to her left. They were all lighted with the same spotlights aligned in two parallel rows.

"Alright," the woman softly spoke, "Kuchiki Rukia, class 1-A, Empire building, room 415. That is your homeroom, which is ending in twelve minutes. Here is your map of the school grounds, new students tend to get lost since this school is enormous. These are your transfer files and confirmation papers, I can keep these for you to collect at the end of the day, if you wish."

Rukia smiled in gratitude and nodded, "Yes, thank you." She said taking the map, a red circle marked where she was meant to go.

"And lastly, your timetable." Rukia expected a simple sheet of paper but the woman gave her a small notebook, opened at the first page where her timetable was printed. The cover had the school crest on it with _Karakura High School _in elegant font. Then a simple sheet a of thin plastic protected the cover from damage.

"This timetable contains the code of conduct that you and your parent or guardian must sign, target sheets, useful information on pages ten to thirteen, events during the year, your personal attendance record and slots to write in your homework." She explained, catching her breath, "there is also space for any notes. This timetable comes free but if you lose it or damage it excessively then you must pay for a new one." She recited.

'_Geez, this school really is over the top. A piece of paper would have been enough.'_

"I see. Thank you." Rukia answered.

"Very well, do you need some to escort you to your class?" Rukia shook her head. _'This school can't be that big, can it?'_

"No, that won't be necessary." She said, the receptionist pointed to the hallway on Rukia's left and the young girl nodded and walked away.

_____

'_Who was I kidding?! This school is colossal!' _Mentally screamed Rukia. She sped down the empty maze of hallways with her books slipping out of her grasp. '_413, 414, 415, 416, 4-!' _"Wait!" She whispered and abruptly stopped and took a few steps back.

415. Class 1-A.

Her shoulders slumped in relief and she quickly composed herself. Taking a deep breath in she knocked out of courtesy and opened the door slowly, revealing the whole class.

The teacher stopped mid-sentence as the door opened and a short girl stepped into the room. Picking up a folder, she looked through it.

"Kuchiki Rukia?" The teacher asked and she nodded. Setting the files down, she turned to the class.

"Alright! Class, this the transfer student I told you about, remember what I said and treat her well!" She looked at Rukia, "My name is Ochi-sensei, welcome to the school." She motioned for Rukia to come closer. The raven-haired woman put her on best sugary smile and bowed.

"Konnichiwa! My name is Kuchiki Rukia, pleased to meet you." She sweetly said. The class's eyes were on her, judging her.

"Our seating plan is alphabetical but there are some exceptions sometimes, you will be sitting next to…" She scanned the register. "Ah, Kurosaki, the guy with orange hair." He didn't bother putting his hand up, he was the only guy with orange hair in the class. Rukia kept her sweet façade as she passed through the desks until she reached hers. The teacher finished with the announcements and the class immediately started chatting away. People got out of their seats and sat on tables and Rukia was the only one left out.

"Senna, you will be guiding Kuchiki-san around the school today." Ochi-sensei commanded. Rukia's eyes turned from out the window to a girl who was sitting on the opposite side of class, on table with a group of other people. Her hair just like her own but lighter and tied into a neat pony-tail by a ribbon, a light complexion and large, piercing orange eyes. The girl's eyes slowly turned to hers. A perfectly manicured hand lifted and barely acknowledged Rukia.

'_I guess I should get used to this kind of treatment, I _am_ the newbie, after all, nobody wants to get close with newbies.' _She thought as she gathered her things. The bell rang and the class quickly got up and vanished, as well the girl who was meant to guide Rukia. Rukia rolled her eyes and got up.

_____

Rukia was actually surprised that no bullies came up to her and that she wasn't tripped over yet, although she didn't really expect it, one icy glare was enough for people to get the message: _Don't mess with me._

Currently, she sat on a bench reading a book during double gym class. Unfortunately, or fortunately (since Yoruichi-sensei _loved _running laps) she hadn't known that she had gym class so she didn't bring her gym clothes with her. And so, she was told that she could go read a book or explore the school. At first, getting lost in school wasn't a very colourful idea to her but she had already read the book once.

_'Alright! Let's do exploring.'_

_______

Heels clicked against the floor in a steady rhythm, followed by two others.

"What was her name again?" A stern but clipped voice echoed through the empty corridor.

"Kuchiki Rukia. A transfer student."

"I see."

"Have you go anything planned for her?"

"I always have a plan."

"What should we do?"

A pause fell upon the group.

"Nothing. I want to see what she's like…"

* * *

_This is the remake of __The Life at Mashiba High__, now titled __Opposites Attract. __There will be significant changes. For those who have not read __The Life at Mashiba High__, don't worry, you don't have to. Chapters will get longer since I just started this, so no worries about shortness._

_Please review, I need to know your opinions!_

_=)_


	2. First Encounters

Disclaimer: I do not own BLEACH.

* * *

Opposites Attract

Chapter II

First Encounters

* * *

Rukia fidgeted as she sat on a bench. She came to school nearly two hours before the bell rang and all she did so far was wander around the premises. Eventually though, she sat down outside the Empire building on a bench that overlooked the entire front garden of the main entrance to the school. It was a wonderful view. Red, white and yellow flowers were perfectly aligned by their shade in a beautiful scenario with precisely cut, lush green grass and bushes. There was also a grand fountain that was the main feature of the entrance, crystal water flowing in perfectly neat streams down to the turquoise pool below. The sound of the water was calming and lulled Rukia to a relaxing trance.

Just as she was starting to doze off, her eyes snapped open. _'I cannot afford to fall asleep like this!' _She scolded herself. Getting up from the bench she walked to the nearest entrance doors. Stepping in to the empty corridor, she shivered as looked down the deserted hallway. Yesterday she managed to familiar herself with _half_ of the ground floor…

'_It's ridiculous for a school to be this huge!' _She growled slightly in annoyance. _'Mashiba High wasn't as big as this.'_

Rukia decided to not to risk getting lost again. The day before she had stumbled upon a room dedicated only to music. She remembered all the various instruments that filled the space and all the music notes scattered around the desks. It was odd that there was a room like that in the main building, there was a whole separate section of the school with two whole floors worth of music rooms.

Putting that thought aside, she had gone into the room and was almost immediately drawn to the beautiful piano that sat in the corner of the room. Rukia's lips twitched upwards at the thought of playing it again. She reached the room named Empire 9 and stepped in discreetly, poking her head in first. _'Good. Nobody is here.' _She thought and walked silently over. Her hand lay on the smooth top of the pristine white instrument, sliding across until she sat on the stool.

A few minutes later Rukia was in her own world. Her fingertips danced along the keys and the melody sung into her ears. The song flowed flawlessly. Her body swayed slightly to the rhythm and her violet eyes closed in a peaceful manner.

She didn't notice anyone coming in.

His eyes danced over the room. After sweeping the area they settled on the petite girl that was playing a melody. The amber orbs brightened in interest but his face remained impassive. Leaning against the doorway, he watched as she became lost in her music, how her eyes fluttered close and the way she moved. The flow of the notes came to a peaceful end, her fingers tapping a few notes until the music completely faded.

"Nice."

Her body snapped around abruptly, nearly falling off the stool.

He watched in amusement as her shock took control of her body and face, stepping closer. Dark blue eyes scrutinized him carefully and locked with his honey ones.

She cleared her throat after a few moments. "May I help you?" She asked.

"You're the new girl right?" He asked back, ignoring her question. Their eyes still holding each others gaze until Rukia's slipped.

Taking him in, she realized he was actually _very_ handsome and had the most beautiful eye colour she had ever seen. A rich chocolate amber colour that drew her in. He had a strong jaw line and a slight frown adorned his features. It seemed semi-permanent but it only added to the rough, dangerous look he had. But, the first thing she noticed was his hair. It didn't set off his face or anything but it was unusual to have such bright, _orange _hair, it… suited him though. The rebellious tangerine spikes sat on his head, fluttering to his gleaming eyes.

She realized she had been out of it for too long and so had he. His eyes then shone in amusement but she could clearly see he was holding back a smirk.

"Yes, I am the _new girl_." She snapped. As an afterthought she asked, "and who are you?" She said, looking him in the eye. He smirked, his sharp whites shining proudly. She waited for an answer and finally he replied.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

_____

"Do you know where he is?" Senna asked as her heels tapped smoothly against the floor. An electronic murmur replied through the speaker. She walked down the hallways like a natural model and her hand held an expensive looking LCD screen phone while the other fidgeted with her bag. "Ok… I'll go and check. Mmhm, OK, I'll see you there." She said happily before sliding the phone shut. Her eyes sparkled and she waved at any student that passed by. Bright orange eyes looked straight ahead as she reached the room she sought for. Her heels stopped a few steps from the door.

"You better be in there…" She muttered, reaching for the knob.

Opening the door she stepped in to see Ichigo, the mop of unruly orange hair turning to see her and the black acoustic guitar nearly slipping from his lap. Senna frowned. The whole situation would have been pretty normal if not for the girl sitting on the far opposite end of the room.

"Hello." Senna said carefully but politely. Orange piercing violet in an unheard battle.

"Hello." Rukia replied just as graciously, slowly standing up. A few seconds passed and it felt like a slow motion scene you would watch in cliché high school movies. The room remained in complete silence until a sharp chord vibrated through the air. The two females faced Ichigo, who still had his fingers on the strings.

"Hello to you to, Senna." He said sarcastically. Senna beamed and walked up to him happily but it seemed artificial. Giving a him a peck on the cheek she said, "hi." He nodded at her but did nothing else in return of the gesture. The orange eyed girl stood up straight and turned to Rukia with a hand on her hip.

"You're the girl who I was supposed to give a tour to, right?"

"I don't need any of your help."

"I was waiting for you outside class. You weren't coming out so I left, sorry."

"…I see."

A heavy pause.

Senna's posture dropped significantly after a few moments. Although, Ichigo still felt uneasy.

"Sen-"

"I thought you didn't want any music partners." She smiled and raised a brow.

"She isn't my music partner. I don't even know her." He said nonchalantly, leaning against the table. An arm lazily waved Rukia off, whose eye twitched.

"Neither of us would leave first so I had to compromise." He breezily said. "She on the other end and I on this one." He said, glaring at Rukia. She returned the gesture.

Senna chuckled lightly after remaining indifferent for a few seconds and walked up to Rukia, who was still sitting on the stool of the piano. She held out a hand.

"Sorry, I guess we started off a bit rough. My name is Tsuyamara Senna, pleased to meet you." Her voice _was_ friendly but... Rukia glanced at the hand for a second before standing up and shaking it, her lips not quite making it into a smile.

Ichigo observed the scene from the other side of the room. Many thoughts ran through his head as he watched on. Then, he stood up, taking off the guitar strap from his shoulders and setting the pitch-black guitar in the corner.

"The bell is going in five minutes." He bluntly said, slinging his bag on his shoulder, he cast a look in Rukia's direction before leaving. Senna left shortly afterwards.

_____

"Hey. It's the new girl." A large teenager said from behind Rukia. School was over and Rukia stayed at the library to do some homework. The day was fairly uneventful, her concentration kept slipping on to other matters. She kept on walking as if there was no one behind her. A few more guys rounded up on her.

"Oi! You, new girl! Come 'ere and show yer pretty face to us!" Rukia kept on walking, her face cold. Then she nearly tripped as a foot collided with the back of her ankle. One of the bullies hands yanked her shoulder painfully and she was slammed into a locker. Another hand grabbed her chin roughly and another bully looked her in the eye before turning his gaze lower.

"Eeeeh, she got a pretty face but lacks in everywhere else." He said evilly, emphasizing by reaching a hand to touch her breasts. Rukia growled and lashed out a leg. She hit the guy _where it hurt _and glared fiercely at the others. "You filthy scum!" She hissed. She punched another guy who tried to come up on her in the stomach. However, she didn't notice another two coming up from behind. They violently grabbed her arms and she was slammed into the lockers again. Her head took most of the impact and she bit back a yelp, feeling some blood smearing at the back of her head. The bullies didn't notice, instead they were set on her.

"Let's see what she's got to offer." They laughed, the first attacker recovered and was the first to get in place. "Probably not much!" With both arms pinned and her legs pressed against their bodies, she couldn't do anything. She started panicking. Their hands wandered dangerously up her leg, to her thigh, upper thigh…

'_No! They wouldn't do anything in school, would they?'_ She was immobilized and was getting frantic. Attempting to use brute force, she tried kicking out again.

'_Nii-sama would be ashamed of me.'_

Her small frame wasn't made for that though and the bullies pressed on harder.

"_Let go! _You bastards!" She growled menacingly.

"Feisty." The offender leered and his face came extremely close to hers. He licked his lips and his hand was alarmingly closer to the hem of her underwear. Rukia froze at that moment but came to and used all her strength to strike her head forward. He howled as he got headbutted and he staggered. All the other offenders pounced on her like animals, taking hold of all her limbs. Trying to lash out again, she tried to gather all her strength but the dizziness of her head was an obstacle hard to challenge.

And just then, a door clicked open…

Everybody froze but Rukia, who tried her best to get out but then she too became still.

They were in one of the longest hallways of the main building and the room was at the very end of it. The bullies seemed to realize this and were about take run for it when a footstep echoed down to them.

They froze.

Kurosaki Ichigo stepped out of the room wordlessly and turned around to lock it. However, his dangerous eyes were set on the bullies holding Rukia, not leaving them as he turned the key. He narrowed his eyes and the men saw it. They jumped away from her like she had the plague and stood straight in a group. Ichigo walked slowly to them, his eyes daring them to move an inch, their pathetic faces watched anxiously as he neared, ready to mess up in their pants.

"K-K-Kurosaki-sama!" Something flashed in his eyes.

It happened so fast that Rukia was slightly dazed when it was finished, but it could been more from the bleeding wound. Six bodies lay on the ground groaning and clenching their abused bodies. She heard a few slams in the battered lockers and a few punches here and there and it was done.

"Kurosaki." She said, eyeing the pathetic beings. He straightened up and clapped his hands from any non-existent dirt.

"I was wondering what the ruckus was about…" He said and smirked lightly. Then he saw the bleeding down her neck, his eyes widened.

"You're hurt." He said, quickly coming over to examine the wound.

Rukia rolled her eyes at the obvious statement, stubbornly moving away from him. Their proximity was _very_ close. "Well-."

"Shut up. Let me see it." He said, walked behind her to see the laceration from behind.

"That hurts." Rukia complained as he grabbed her shoulders, she gave him a look.

"_So-rry," _he rolled his eyes, "your back and shoulders are probably going to bruise a bit. The wound isn't deep but I'd rather if you get it bandaged now." He explained smugly, letting go and stepping in front of her.

"It will be fine, I just need to-" She was cut off by a sudden wave of dizziness and she staggered. "Damn it!" She hissed lowly.

"Hey! Are you okay?" She heard him say. He quickly steadied her and started leading the raven-haired girl to the infirmary. Almost immediately, she wriggled out of his grasp.

"I told you that I need no help." She fumed silently. "It's only a scratch."

"If I leave you here and you faint on your way back home…" He said slowly and paused for a dramatic effect. "It's gonna be on me."

Rukia's eyes came to glare into his. "Your problems are none of my concern." Ichigo let out an impatient breath and shifted his balance.

"Look, midget, you're going to the nurse whether you like it or not." He grinned cheekily. Rukia's expression changed to a irritated one with a hint of a blush for thinking he was cut- _'hold it!'_

"You arrogant and rude s- wait, _what__ did you just call me_?"

3... 2... 1...

"I am not a _midget_!" She seethed, eyes blazing. For the first since what seemed like forever, Kuchiki Rukia lost her cool completely.

"The hell you aren't! Look at you! Four foot what? Five?"

"Four foot nine or more!" Was the last she checked. Although that was sometime ago, she probably grew a bit since then.

Ichigo chuckled at her gleaming eyes. _'She's this angry because of her height?' _He mentally laughed. Oh wait… not mentally.

"What the hell are you laughing at?!"

"You."

Rukia's vein twitched even more.

And that's when the consequences of having your head bashed into a locker come. She hadn't even realized that they were in the infirmary already. The idiot distracted her while they were walking, Rukia noticed in annoyance

"Kurosaki-san," she greeted as though his appearance in the infirmary was a regular thing.

"Not me this time, Unohana-san," Ichigo confirmed and Rukia observed that he didn't have a single scratch from the fight. "Her head got hit against a locker." He made it sound like she walked into a telephone pole.

Soon enough, Rukia's wound was already looked at and bandaged carefully, it wasn't anything serious and like the carrot top said before, the bruises on her delicate looking skin were going to be a hindrance. Ichigo was asked to go outside the room so that Unohana could take a better look at her back bare.

"These bruises aren't too severe but would you like to have them bandaged anyway?" Her angelic voice drifted through the room. Rukia shook her head no and made a move to stand up.

"Please do rest for a few minutes and drink this water, you will feel nauseated otherwise." The long braided haired nurse smiled and passed a glass of water. "Unfortunately, I have to go to the reception for a moments. Kurosaki-san will wait here with you." Rukia nodded and said her thanks.

"Better yet, shorty?" Came the cocky idiot strolling through the door like he had all the time in the world, although there was something akin to concern his gold eyes but it was microscopic.

"I'm fine." She gritted out.

A heavy moment of silence. Ichigo flopped himself on another bed and stared out the window. School had probably ended a long time ago. And hour and a half or two. His eyes nearly closed and his hair shone even more brightly in the background of the sunset. He looked even more gorgeous but Rukia would never let that be said out loud.

"Are you checking me out?"

"WHAT?! No, don't be such a fool!"

Smirk.

Eye twitch.

Another silence.

They went on like that, after a few short moments, Ichigo annoying the living hell out of Rukia and Rukia annoying the living hell out of Ichigo (well, _trying_) as they asked each other stupid (insulting) questions, a bit of name calling here and there and eventually settling on a normal conversation between two civilized, well educated people.

"Why do you think they attacked you?" Ichigo asked as he sat properly on the bed, legs dangling off it. Rukia shrugged.

"I assume it's because… I'm new?"

"That's no reason to get aggressive." He sighed. "This happens every time. Well, whatever, those guys won't be getting up anytime soon." He smirked.

"Anyway, you play the piano, right?"

"Yes. You were in the music room with me, remember?" She haughtily asked, his face showed barely any sign of annoyance. He just made a face at her, which she replied with.

"You, know, I didn't even remember you and you sit next to me in homeroom." He thoughtfully pondered. But then his eyes lazily slid over to meet hers.

"I can say the same thing about you." He looked surprised and lifted a strand of his hair from his fringe.

"Even with this orange hair?" He raised a brow, Rukia nodded. Unohana then came in a and dismissed the two.

"Thank you again, Unohana-san." Rukia bowed, after she gathered her items. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"You're such a kiss-up."

"I'm not. I'm being polite, something you wouldn't even bother comprehend." She said as they walked down the hallway.

"You know, I could just leave you here…"

Rukia kept on walking, undisturbed. "Then go ahead, I don't need you."

"Okay. Find your way out yourself." He said and turned away the opposite direction, she swore that she had seen a grin on his face.

"Fine!" She childishly stomped away.

Around ten minutes later, Rukia was lost.

The petite girl clenched and unclenched her fists as she marched down the hallway, not caring where she was going. The idiot's grinning face was burnt into her mind and she could just see making fun of her.

"No school should be so ridiculously huge! Expensive or not!" She fumed, wishing she her map. She reached the end of the hospital like hallway and it broke into two more. _'Oh, for the love of…' _Her instincts told her to go left but she considered the right one too.

"Well, this one is." Came that voice again. The devil leaned against a corner, his lips twitched up into a cocky smirk.

"Where the hell did _you _come from? Are you following me?" She asked, brow raised and hands on her hips.

His thumb pointed to a hallway she hadn't noticed when she was busy fuming. "Newbie's tend to go around in circles when they're lost, I guess. I was waiting for you." He shrugged.

"What makes you think I'm lost?" She interrogated. Ichigo gave her a blunt expression. "Fine, I'm lost! What is it to you?"

"If you just say 'please', I could escort you to the entrance."

"The hell I'm going to do that!"

"See ya, then."

Now, what were her chances of getting out this place alone?

"Ok! If you insist, please!"

* * *

_Dunno if anybody noticed but…_

_ICHIGO HAS AN ELECTRIC GUITAR IN HIS ROOM! _

_In the episode where Ichigo and Rukia meet, in Ichigo's room, behind Rukia (when she is explaining the SS concept) there is a black electric guitar leaning against the drawers. Tell me if my eyes deceive me but… KIYAAAAA! _

_Okay, You can come out of your hide outs, the fangirl has gone. Anyway, s__orry for mistakes!_

_Leave a review on your way out, please!_

_Ja ne!_


	3. Next Encounters

_Disclaimer: No, no, mi amigo. _

_-Yup, I changed the title and the summary. I hope nobody got confused!  
__- I strongly suggest you listen to _Supermassive Blackhole by Muse_ where it says 'PLAY'. _

* * *

My Suffering Soul

Chapter III

Next Encounters

* * *

The two weeks flew by too fast for Rukia's liking. Ever since the incident on that Wednesday, she avoided walking the long stretches that were corridors alone. Nii-sama had questioned about the bandage she had forgotten to hide, and to her astonishment, he nearly went to the school in person had not Rukia tried her best to intervene. It was terribly difficult to lie to him, her stoic brother always knew if she was hiding something and wouldn't hesitate to let her know.

But she knew it was his way of showing that he cared.

Her sister died when Rukia was very small, so she didn't even remember or know about the incident until she was nine. Ever since then, she knew that Nii-sama was not truly as cold as the world thought he was. Nobody wanted to get close to her because of him, mainly males. She didn't mind though, since attention was the last thing she wanted in that school. Rukia knew that Nii-sama was happy if only she was happy and protected her in his own way, thus she had no real friends until she entered Karakura High…

And met Kurosaki Ichigo.

That stubborn and short tempered enigma... Despite the fact that sometimes she wanted to snap his neck since he made fun of her drawings, he was her first friend she had in that endless school. She had learnt that he was one of the most popular guys in school, if not the most.

Over the two weeks, the two yelled at each other, made fun of each other, laughed at each other and pissed each other off whenever they met in the huge school. But it became rare. Whenever his girlfriend was around, they avoided each other at all costs. He would completely ignore her sometimes but she understood that he had his reasons. Sometimes he would even act as if he never met her. His face would turn stoic and he would have this dangerous aura around him all the time, but it didn't affect her like it affected others. In fact, it drew her to him. He was sometimes loud but he was mysterious in his own way, and she always felt like she could be herself around him.

But, she did not exactly know what was his and Senna's relationship was since the two didn't exactly act like boyfriend and girlfriend. But, she got to know Senna a bit more and found out that she was quite a cheerful person, although she didn't hang around with her, she avoided her.

Popular people stayed with popular people, after all.

* * *

"My name is Inoue Orihime, nice to meet you." The girl smiled and her eyes were friendly. Rukia slowly shook the girls hand after giving a slight bow.

"My name is Kuchiki Rukia; once again I apologize for making you drop your books." Just a few minutes before, she was walking down to the cafeteria when she accidentally bumped into a girl around the corner, causing her to let go of her books. Thankfully, she didn't seem to be angry at all.

The girl laughed. "Don't worry; it happens to me all the time. Although it was because I tripped over air! And one of my favorite dishes fell out of my bag and went all over the floor!" Rukia smiled, relieved as the girl babbled on about red bean paste, curry and some jelly that she made.

"-you should really try it sometime! I'll even give you the recipe! But, remember, you have to heat it for-" Inoue stopped as she took a good look at Rukia, who was about to ask if something was wrong. "Eh?! You're the new girl in my class, aren't you?!" The smaller girl sweat dropped.

"A-ah. Yes, I am." She replied and before she could say anything else, she was dragged off to the dining hall.

Inoue's face was comical as she quickly spoke. "I'm so sorry! I thought I saw you somewhere but you're so small and sneaky, like a mouse!" A vein twitched in Rukia's forehead but she calmed herself by counting bunnies in her head.

The two girls entered the packed cafeteria and weaved their way through the tables. The hall was huge, with the schools crest printed on a scroll at the opposite wall, where everyone could see it. There was line to get food that stretched through a small staircase where the modern kitchens were. On the opposite side of the entrance, the wall was all glass and there were sliding doors that enabled students to go outside. That was where Inoue was heading, her hand still on Rukia's arm.

They walked into a huge expanse of green land, one part divided into a football pitch and another for cemented courts for basketball or tennis. Orihime let go her hand. "Yosh, were nearly there!" She pointed in front of her. "You see that really big tree at the very end?" Rukia nodded, she had to narrow her eyes to see. There was an enormous tree surrounded by other ones of various shapes and sizes, Rukia could spot a few people moving around. The sun beat down on them mercilessly and Rukia longed for the shade.

"Is that were we are headed?" She asked, still looking at the area.

"Yup! I'm going to introduce you to my friends! You'll love them!" Rukia paled a bit.

"What if… they don't like me?" She quietly pondered. She never got close to anyone, so her people skills were rusty. She certainly didn't like spending lunchtimes and breaks alone but she didn't know how to make friends. It was the same with her old school.

"Oh my! How can you think that?" She beamed and started skipping. Rukia had to catch up. "My friends are… truly amazing." She said, smiling widely. "There's Tatsuki-chan who is my best friend since forever! And Ishida-kun who is very, very smart and sews." She giggled. "Sado-kun is like a _big cuddly bear_, he may look scary at first but he is a sweetheart, he's also Kurosaki-kun's best friend! Then there is Chizuru-san who jumps on me a lot, and all the other girls. Asano-kun and Mizuiro-kun are so funny! Especially when Tatsuki-chan chases Asano-kun around like a mad man!"

Rukia smiled as Inoue went through all her friend names and descriptions. As they talked on she froze as she realized something.

"Inoue-san?" She suddenly asked as they neared the group, they could see the people clearly.

"Hmm?"

"Did you say 'Kurosaki-kun'? As in Kurosaki Ichigo-kun?" Inoue looked at her for a brief moment and smiled again.

"Yeah, Kurosaki-kun! Didn't I tell you about him? You sit next to him don't you?" Rukia was just about to answer but Inoue beat her to it.

"Kurosaki-kun… is really nice." She started softly. "Before we were all one big happy group and he was an important member, who everybody liked. However…" She paused for a moment and a look of sadness flashed in her eyes. Rukia frowned. "He was stolen away from us."

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, now interested yet concerned. Inoue blushed madly.

"Oh, we're here! I promise I'll tell you later!"

* * *

[PLAY]

Muse- Super Massive Blackhole

A sudden burst of loud instruments vibrated through the room. The upbeat tune was smooth and slowly, it resembled a tune would have been in a James Bond movie.

_Ooh, baby don't you know I suffer?  
Oh, baby can you hear me moan?_

If the fan girls heard such tempting lyrics they probably shred all his clothes to shreds, he thought wryly. He didn't favor the song though, he hated it when had to raise his voice like that. However, practice is practice. And the sound of the guitar was great.

_You caught me under false pretenses  
how long before you let me go?_

Guitars, bass, drums and all the other instruments accompanied the voice that drawled delightfully throughout the song. The blast was great although he had to use his headphones to keep with the rhythm.

_Ooh, you set my soul alight  
Ooh, you set my soul alight_

Kensei, who was on the drums, soon sang into the vocals with him, while Ichigo backed him up instead. Chad put all his power into the vibrating bass.

_Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive  
(Ooh, you set my soul alight)  
Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive  
(Ooh, you set my soul)_

Thank God this is a sound-proof room, Ichigo thought as he sang. A cocky smirk found itself to his face as pictured all the girls that were ready barge into the room at that moment.

_I thought I was a fool for no one  
but ooh, baby I'm a fool for you_

_You're the queen of the superficial  
and how long before you tell the truth?_

_Ooh, you set my soul alight  
Ooh, you set my soul alight  
_

Ichigo played all his heart into the guitar as his voice resounded in the room. Senna's face faintly came to his head when he sang the lyrics

_  
Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
and the superstars sucked into the supermassive  
(Ooh, you set my soul alight)  
Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
and the superstars sucked into the supermassive  
(Ooh, you set my soul)_

Energy thrummed through Ichigo as his voice fed the microphone. Now it was Kensei again who growled into the microphone in a muffled manner,

_Supermassive black hole  
Supermassive black hole  
Supermassive black hole  
Supermassive black hole_

The fast rhythm of the instruments replaced the vocals for a few moments and the band could feel the strong pulse in the song as they gave it their all. Eerie undertones were felt in the screams of the guitar and bass. It wasn't long before Kensei started chanting again and Ichigo singing in after.

_Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive  
Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive_

Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive  
(Ooh, you set my soul alight)  
Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive  
(Ooh, you set my soul)

For the last verse, Ichigo purred out the last long lyrics in a long stretch as his fingers strummed the chords on his guitar. Then Kensei harshly whispered the last lines before the song came to an abrupt end.

_Supermassive black hole  
Supermassive black hole  
Supermassive black hole  
Supermassive black hole_

"Alright, we're done!" Ichigo stretched. He lazily started taking off his black electric guitar and headphones. The others nodded and started putting away their equipment. Chad, who still had his bass on him, came to Ichigo with an expression that only close friends could identify on his usually stoic face. Worry.

Ichigo frowned.

"What is it?"

The tall Mexican nodded towards the window. "Are you sure about this?"

Ichigo's frown seemed to melt off as he stared at the figures that ran around the soccer pitch. A distinctive ball was easily passed between the players and was fed into the goal at the far end. His eyes turned distant as the yells of coach were heard from afar, the whistle blowing furiously.

He knew exactly what Chad was talking about...

"Ah, I'm sure."

With that, he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out.

* * *

When school slowly came to an end, Rukia found herself in a fairly good mood. At lunch she made friends with a couple of girls Inoue introduced and chatted away with them until the bell.

It was a fairly large group but she knew it was tight-knit together with special people with their own distinct personalities. There was Inoue-san, Arisawa-san, Ishida-kun and a person named Sado-kun who she didn't meet yet. There were also two goofballs named Asano Keigo and his side-kick Mizuiro-kun, who were basically the jokers and a few other girls that she also made friends with. She remembered how they pestered her about if she liked anyone, to which she awkwardly replied.

She didn't see Ichigo anywhere, which was odd since they usually met in the hallways. But, instead of him, she encountered somebody else.

"_Hey, Kuchiki!" The girl turned around to see a brightly clothed person skipping towards her, which was odd because the uniform was the. Senna's heels tapped softly through the crowded corridor, contrasting with the horde of heavy footsteps behind her. She stopped a few meters away from Rukia and the crowd that was her friends stopped as well. The amount of them looked pretty intimidating and Rukia prayed that it wasn't going to be a repeat of that Wednesday. _

"_Yes?" She politely answered, unfazed. _

"_Have you seen Ichigo?"_

_Rukia was slightly taken aback. Why would Senna come to her in search of Ichigo?_

"_No, I haven't, sorry."_

"_Silly, what are you saying sorry for? It's not your fault." She giggled, a pale hand covered her mouth and then, without another word, she disappeared into the crowd. Rukia frowned a bit as she stood there, staring at the place where Senna stood. _

The shrill sound of the bell startled Rukia from her musings. Quickly and swiftly she packed her things and walked out of the classroom. Students swarmed out of the school while some, the populars mainly, lingered around the buildings. Rukia shook her head when, suddenly, her vision was cut off by something warm that smelled like anti-bacterial gel.

"What-?" She froze when a _very_ familiar voice interrupted her.

"Guess who." It said. Rukia sighed at his idiocy but replied anyway, since she couldn't shrug his hands off her face.

"Ichigo, get off." She said icily.

He smirked dropping his arms. "Wow, you're good." He replied mockingly and Rukia turned around to glare at him.

"Your hands stink."

"Senna's got a bit of OCD, so I have to put gel on my hands if I want to get near her. My hands always smell nice." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

That reminded her. "She was looking for you today. She even asked me if I knew where you were." She told him as they neared the main school gate. Her books clutched neatly in her arms, she stopped. "Maybe you should go to her," She offered once they were out of the school. She looked for her butler, only to remember that Nii-sama was hiring a new one after the old one broke his leg. In a way, she was glad. It was nice to have a break from the tense workers of the Kuchiki family; on the other hand, her home was miles away.

"I don't have to be with her all the time." He said nonchalantly, while stretching in the annoying uniform. The two walked down the road and Rukia watched as nearly everyone got into expensive cars or limousines. They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached the point where they would go their separate ways, at a small intersection away from all the noise bustling from the school. Rukia looked distastefully at the long road that stretched out if her vision while Ichigo walked to his car, which he purposely parked away from school. The pearl black Audi R8 gleamed proudly in the afternoon sun and Rukia stared at it too long than she meant to.

"Nice car." She complimented without thinking. Ichigo nodded as the car signaled that it was open.

"Thanks."

Rukia started walking away once he got into the car, slightly irritated when she thought of her brother.

"_Having a car of your own possession is not required. You have butlers to transport you to your desired destination and that is sufficient enough."_

She sighed dejectedly as she crossed her arms over her chest. _'It isn't fair at all.'_

She huffed and that was when she felt a big fat fop hit her squarely in the face. Scowling, she looked up at the darkening sky. Puffs of dark grey rolled in from every horizon. A light but chilling breeze picked up and pounced on her from all directions. In the distance she could make out heavy shadows plunging to the ground. Her house was much further than that and the rain was bound to be pouring relentlessly in that area. She could either make a run for it even if she had miles to run; she was bound to get soaked anyway. Or she could just wait it out under a bus stop, she didn't have any money on her anyway and if her brother found out she took a bus ride home then… she shivered. She spotted a shelter on the other side of the road.

The rain started off with a drizzle, it would take a few minutes until she got completely wet. Clutching her books tightly to her chest, Rukia waited until it was safe to cross the road. That was, until a clear honking of a car was heard not far away.

'_Ichigo?' _She thought as a black car neared the edge of the concrete pavement she was standing on. _'No, why would he-'_

A window of the Audi smoothly rolled down, and Ichigo's orange head popped out, his amber eyes glimmering brightly.

"Come on. You're going to get soaked in less than thirty seconds. And don't even try to be difficult, I'm only taking you home." He said before Rukia could even open her mouth. She took another glance that the dark grey sky and noted the feeling of heavy, cold drops on her arms.

"If you try something-"

"Rukia," he groaned, "really, you _know_ I'm not that type of guy." And he was right. For some reason, she trusted him regardless of the fact that they knew each other for only about a month.

Nodding, she quickly walked around the car and sat herself into the comfy leather passenger seat. Ichigo glanced backwards as he put the car into reverse and hit on the accelerator. They journeyed in a companionable silence after Rukia told him her address. She soon helped herself to look through his CD's in the compartment in front of her; there wasn't much to do anyway since Ichigo was driving. She found that he mainly listened to rock but could tolerate a few alternate bands too.

"How about you? What do you listen to?" He asked, leaning back in his seat and driving with one arm. As he expected, the rain poured down like a tsunami, so could he barely see anything ten meters away from the front of the car.

"Well, Nii-sama doesn't much of the music we have in the modern world. He thinks of it as a bad influence, so keeps me away from it." She smiled lightly. "It's awkward when people ask me about bands and singers and I have no clue what they are speaking about."

"He can't keep you away from the human race forever." Ichigo said as he turned to the right. "Now that you're in high school, nothing is keeping you from the world." He smirked. "You will be talking in slang, listening to pop and wearing designer products everyday in no time in this school." He chuckled. Rukia had a thoughtful face.

"You don't do any of those things."

He looked at her momentarily before on the road. "And can you know that?" He heard her chuckle lightly.

"Well, for one, you don't seem to be wearing any expensive apart from your school uniform which is normal, two; judging from these CD's and the fact that you're in a rock band, you don't look like you like pop or this hip-hop or rap that people seem to be infatuated in. And lastly, you speak your Japanese well, apart from the occasional curse of course." She finished, eyes sparkling smugly. She smirked and crossed her arms. Ichigo looked a bit impressed although she knew he was hiding it.

"You're sure do seem to know quite a bit about me so far." He said and his brow was raised slightly in amusement. "I wonder what else you might know." She looked at him strangely before nestling herself in the seat. Looking out the window, she watched through the rain as Ichigo's car splashed everything in a three meter radius as it ran through deep puddles. She traced the beads of water as they ran down the window, and thought about what would happen if Ichigo hadn't picked her up. She would have been soaked to the bone, probably, and the rain didn't look like it was letting up any time soon…

"Hey." She said, getting his attention.

"Hm?"

"Think you could go faster?" She asked with a sly smile, it was almost challenging.

Ichigo looked at her as if she grew another head. _Never_ in his life, had he heard a girl –apart from Karin- asking him to go _faster_ in an _extremely fast_ sports car.

"I could." He replied, a smirk pulling at his lips. "You sure you won't scream? Once I hit the accelerator, there's no going back." He said, hand clenching around the steering wheel and his foot eagerly pressing against the accelerator. Rukia looked like she was about to make a life changing decision, her eyes shot to his.

"We must!" She breathed determinedly, trying not to laugh.

Not even a second to spare; Ichigo smashed his foot down. Both of them shot back into their seats with an amazing force as the car shot forward like a bullet. The engine roared as they sped down the, thankfully, empty road with demonic speed.

The car dived into the darkness; Rukia could barely make out the fast blurring images of the passing-by people as they watched the athletic car appear and disappear in a second, she laughed at the amazing feeling. Moments later, Ichigo made the car do a dynamic swerve around the corner, narrowly dodging other vehicles with smooth precision. Rukia could barely take to the time to be awed as she felt her lungs and stomach tingle with laughter. They continued to blast to the roads without even coming close to a crash. Rukia's laughter and Ichigo's chuckles were drowned by the heavy rain and the sound of cars shooting by. _'I don't think I had more fun than this in my life'_, she thought as she squealed when a heavy loaded truck whizzed by, dangerously close to the much smaller car.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, eventually and Ichigo had to slow down when they entered camera zones.

"So how was that? Fast enough for you?" He asked, hints of laughter lingering in his voice. Rukia smirked, still a bit dazed like Ichigo.

"Ah."

They were currently slowly driving through one of the most prestigious neighbourhoods in Tokyo but Ichigo's luxurious sports car still stood out as it silently ghosted through the perfectly clean roads, even in rain. Each mansion was colossal, with its own huge garden, pool, and driveway and top of the class security system. It was a luxury to live in one of these houses.

"Hey," Ichigo whispered before regaining his voice. He looked around the houses before continuing. "I live around here," He said.

Rukia looked in curiosity. "You do?" Stupid question. Obviously he knew where he lived, she noted in slight embarrassment, and he apparently saw it too, from that mocking grin he had on his face.

"Yeah, I do. " He nodded, eyes on the road. "I never knew that Kuchiki Byakuya moved here, I thought it would big news and would spread around quickly." He shrugged and slowly halted the car. "I guess not. We're here." He looked up at the huge mansion from outside the gate.

Four enormous white pillars supported the lighted entrance with mahogany and glass double doors. In front, there was a large lit fountain with elegantly cut greenery circling it. A smooth pebble path stretched for about twenty meters before reaching the beautiful fountain and curving around it as it split in two. Sakura trees were neatly lined up around the perimeter. The whole house was white and three floors high with modern lighting and extravagant design. It was majestic but that was expected in such a rich place. Ichigo let out an impressed whistle as Rukia shuffled with her seatbelt.

As she opened the door, she turned to him with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Ichigo." She said looking into his eyes.

Ichigo gulped faintly and nodded. "Yeah, anytime." He managed to say. He finally mustered up a small smirk. "I'll see you tomorrow, midget."

Rukia's eye twitched and she kicked the door shut with a bang. Ichigo jumped. "Hey, watch it!" He complained. She stuck her tongue out as she ran to the gate which immediately opened. Two servants jumped out in a second, one holding an umbrella and the other gathering her books, much to Rukia's insistence that she could do it herself.

Ichigo made sure she was inside until he drove off into the rain.

* * *

_Lol, Ichigo loves speed doesn't he? Reviews would be awesome._

_Have a lovely New Year, minna-san!_


End file.
